Sound explorer Kurt Liedwart compiles a cassette release from works he composed during 2015 to 2017 using mostly sound sources from electronics and synthesizers and based on studio improvisations, presented as six compositions of noise, drones, polyrhythmic excursions, glitchy playing on modular synth, processed field recordings, &c &c.

An unusual duo of voice and percussion from New York City percussionist David Grollman (Prom Night, Wee Tapes) and vocalist Ryan Krause, using space, dynamics and acoustic to create improvised works that range from atmospherically tonal to bizarrely interactive.

Recorded mostly in the May Funerary Chapel in Chicago's Rosehill Cemetery, and partially in Brooklyn's Issue Project Room, NY bassist Brandon Lopez wrote these intense solo compositions for double bass as a response to the musical intention of Bach's cello suites by creating an inversion, seeking beauty amidst violence and erratic approaches.

Francisco Lopez created this work by dubbing a blank cassette back and forth for hundreds of generations in real time with no noise reduction; this is the reissue of the original 1997 release.

Chicago bassist Matthew Lux (Isotope 217, Exploding Star Orchestra) in an album of effusive and spiritual percussive grooves under electronic and acoustic leads, performed with Ben Lamar Gay on cornet, electronics and percussion, Mikel Patrick Avery on drums, percussion, mellotron and more, and Jayve Montgomery on various woodwinds, samples and percussion.

Machinefabriek, aka Rutger Zuydervelt, recorded the music on this release with tuning forks, steel wool, contact mics, memo recorders, looped cassettes from an answering machine tape, a ring modulator, and looper pedals.

The long-running Chicago free-rock trio Mako Sica currently comprised of Przemyslaw Drazek (trumpet & guitar), Brent Fuscaldo (guitar) and Chaetan Newell (drums & piano) are joined by free improvising legend Hamid Drake on drum kit, tablas and frame drum for a beautiful and rich album of genre merging, spiritually warm, primarily instrumental music, inclusive and persuasive.

3 cassette set from French composers Lionel Marchetti & Jean-Baptiste Favory; one dedicated to Favory's early work; one a composition from Marchetti performed with Favory and reed/synth player Pierre Jacob; one a multitrack duo improvisation from Paris, 2011.

Two works from electronic and noise artist Lasse Marhaug: "Purple Cane" recorded in Kuala Lumpur varying a 30 second noise sequence; and "Sleazy Tuk-Tuk", recorded in Bangkok and built from field recordings of a blind woman on the road with her Casio keyboard.

The 2nd part of Chicago trumpeter Rob Mazurek's Astral Spirits series that started with "Vortice of the Faun", Mazurek performing on piccolo trumpet, electronics, voice, and percussion in a detailed journey, released alongside Mazurek's art opening "Constellation Scores" at URDLA, the cover showing two 3-D prints and the package comes with glasses to view them.

Using only acoustic techniques and recording live, New York clarinetist and contrabass clarinetist John McCowen (Tweak Bird, Wei Zhongle) draws out an incredibly impressive array of harmonic difference tones, interference beats and inexplicable sound from these typically monophonic instruments, using circular breathing to create long drones and aberrant textures.

A six track album from drummer Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II written about the abuse of force from those charged to protect us, in a series of duos with amazing performances from guitarist Nels Cline, saxophonist Arnold Lee, bassist Melvin Gibbs, bassist Dave Hofstra, guitarist Vernon Reid, and drummer/keyboardist CX KIDTRONIX; disturbing and important work.

Including twisted introductions and between-tune raw discussion and "jokes", the free jazz trio of New York saxophonist and bass clarinetist Kenny Millions, bassist Damon Smith on amplified double bass, and drummer Weasel Walters take the stage in Bushwick, Brooklyn as they shred their way through a 47 minute set of serious free playing, informed and on fire.

Multi-instrumentalist improviser Harutaka Mochizuki releases this solo album performing on saxophone, performing two extended improvisations that explore the instrument as a whole, producing unusual sounds from the physical and mechanical aspects of the horn alongside more traditional playing, using an expanded range of dynamics to build tension and interest.

Lithunian reedist Liudas Mockunas, Polish bassist and electronicist Jacek Mazurkiewicz (3Fonia, Warsaw Improvisers Orchestra, Modular String Trio) and Norwegian drummer Hakon Berre (Aram Shelton, Susana Santos Silva) are captured live in Warsaw at Mozg in 2015 for three exploratory improvisations with Mockunas on clarinet, soprano & tenor saxes.

With connections from both the free jazz and improvising rock scene, including Borbetomagus, Many Arms, Caribou, Anthony Braxton, William Parker, Zevious, &c, the trio of Colin Fisher (saxophone, guitar), Johnny DeBlase (electric bass) and Kid Millions (drums) debut their Monas project of intense, electronically spiked, free form improvisation.

A split tape from Austin-based More Eaze (aka Marcus Rubio) and San Diego-based duo A.F. Jones and Steve Flato, More Eaze presenting a work of surprising twists, drone, and audio turns; Jones & Flato create an electronic composition of strange detail using a wide auditory palette encompassing the lowest to highest tones.

A cassette release joining 910 Noise and Ack Recordings from Ryan Lewis and August Traeger, harsh American noise that "will destroy the speakers" (Feast of Hate and Fear).

A collaboration mixing improvisation with sound & noise from sound artist Adam Denton, working primarily with the slithery tones that live within improvisation, and Sean Cotterill, whose work straddles the ocean of skronk guitar to live programming 'ones' and 'zeros'.

David Lee Myers, AKA Arcane Device, explores feedback in its most beautiful forms, over decades developing systems to capture the microscopic edges of errant signals and convert them into lovely long tones, using a series of matrix mixers to manipulate them in real time, creating works of fragile charm, impressive interstices of rhythm, and gorgeous melodic nodes.

Excerpts from drummer/percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani's 2012 Taiga release on cassette, presenting pieces from his Gong Orchestra project, where Nakatani takes his large collection of gongs on the road and teaches members of the community how to bow, strike, and follow his conduction, creating an amazing ritual of sound.

A series of recordings from percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani's many travels in the US and Canada, both live and in the studio, with solo work and duos with Mark Molnar on cello, Mark Weaver on tuba, Gil Selinger on cello, Bonnie Kane on amplified saxophone and flute, and Rhonda Taylor on baritone saxophone.

Vocalist and guitarist Geraldine Celerier Eguiluz leads this Montreal string ensemble with voice and percussion through free improvisation that integrates musicians, language, friends, and accomplices in creating unique and explorative song environments.

Sound artist Lee Noyes based this improvised laptop work on the 1776 work by James Beattie, "Essays: On the nature of truth, in opposition to Sopfifstry and Sceptifism", arguing that both consonance and dissonance are equally important to the perfection of harmony.

A split cassette and art booklet from US sound artists August Traeger performing as Odd Person, and Spanish sound artist Miguel A. Garcia, presenting works of experimental electronic sound, both diverse and extensive journeys through unusual sonic worlds.

Three works recorded in Germany and the US from sound artist Ortmann, who has recordings on Pan, Gameboy, Nihilist, and duo releases with Ben Vida, Weasel Walter, John Wiese, &c.

Ben Owens presents the 1st of his "Birds and Waters" series, two long, unedited works created at the Experimental Television Centre in Owego, NY, using David Jones' image processing system including a multi-input syncable sequencer and a bank of oscillators.

Brooklyn-based Ben Owen recorded this work in 2010 at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, NY, presenting the original work "Birds And Water" and two edits, which are mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi.

Thick fuzzy sound with subliminal interventions and a subsumed squiggly lead line makes the first side of this cassette release from American sound artist Matt Taggart, AKA PCRV, balanced by a ringing work of ambient harmonics that creates beautiful hypnotic tone textures that shifts slowly with illusional transitions.

In memory of the late polymath avant-garde artist Tony Conrad (1940-2016), longtime friend and coconspirator Charlemagne Palestine returned to the site of their first encounter for a tribute performance on what would have been Conrad's 77th birthday, performing on the bells at St Thomas's Church, in New York City for a rich album of ritualistic ringing and tones.

5 artists in a split release of 3 cassette tapes, the artists (Somnoroase Pasarele / Alan Courtis / Directives / Crank Sturgeon ) are based in disparate geographical regions of Earth: Romania, Argentina, Massachussetts USA, San Francisco USA, and Normal IL USA.

A freely improvised collaboration between Ahleuchatistas guitarist Shane Perlowin and trumpeter Jacob Wick, both using a contemplative approach of unusual and extended techniques while allowing space and tension to develop their deceptively rich dialog.

Using an eclectic set of audio tools, objects, voice and electronics, Ezio Piermantel creates a bizarre sound world of concrete and inexplicable sound that fascinates the listener in a strange non-narrative that still manages to tell a story in sound and noise; truly unique.

Guitarist Barry Chabala's interpretation of composer Pisaro's piece, instructing the performer on structure and pitch but allowing the precise timing and sound to the player; plus a reworking of Chabala's recording taking advantage of cassette hiss and sine tones.

The Swedish duo of percussionist Andreas Pollak and prepared pianist Johan Graden (Adam & Alma) in an album of references and innuendo, clandestine and furtive sounds that evoke great mystery and drama in beautifully shaped sound; evocative music that deceives to emerge from the electronic realm while in actuality coming from all acoustic sources.

Polyorchard founder and double bassist David Menestres leads the quartet of Jeb Bishop on trombone, Shawn Galvin on percussion, and Laurent Estoppey on saxophone, using skills drawn from both improvisation and compositional music to present six free dialogs showing intent listening amongst the four as they create complex, interweaving, sophisticated statements; impressive!

Pregnant Spore is Justin Marc Lloyd, Chicago-based experimental noise artist who performs under a variety of monikers, here in a rapid-paced album of rich and ruptured sound, unusual rhythmic sources, reverse phonetics, quickly changing pace and direction while maintaining an odd sense of cohesion; fascinating and perplexing.

Part of a series of 8 split release cassettes, all hand-painted & numbered; Side A is Promute (Shaun Sanders) using homemade instruments in a live recording of strange distractions; B is Phillip Klampe (Homogenized Terrestrials) in a rich electronic work.

A Downtown NY quartet of drummer percussionists--Carlos Costa, Flin van Hemmen, Max Jaffe, and David Grollman--all active in the NY improv scene, here merging for an album of unique approaches to their instruments, from thunderous drones to curious experiments.

An exhilarating and unusual set of duos for drum and cello from Daniel Pierce and Teddy Rankin-Parker, the latter known for Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble, ICE, and work with Primus; together they deliver intense and captivating polyrhythms and unexpected string sonics.

Bringing together two live shows from 2017 of the trio of Chicago luminaries, Dave Rempis on saxophones, Tim Daisy on drums, and Matt Piet on piano, in an exhilarating album of free jazz that shows the excitement of all three in what are only their 3rd and 4th live gigs together, each driving the other to enthusiastic heights amidst contemplative and playful moments.

The Rita, the duo of Sam McKinlay and Arlie Doyle, made samples from 1930's pre-code exploitation films, focusing on the sounds made in the changing rooms of female prostitutes depicted in those films, and manipulated the sounds to make these two tracks, inscrutably crunchy and static filled manifestoes with a sense of age and decay from the period captured.

Gino Robair recorded this cassette of ham radio in Alaska while on tour with organist Dave Hyatt, taking his feed off the radio of a friendly operator while they listened to an anonymous operator trolling the airwaves and taunting others, over strange whines and radio timbre.

Part of a trilogy of cassette-related works that began with a piece sound artist Steve Roden created for an online exhibition for ICA London in early 2012, these two works were composed from 1983-84 recordings Roden made in his bedroom, recorded at double speed and here playing at half speed, half in reverse, which were organized into these two compositions.

The second volume of the project heard in the previous Creative Sources album, "Suspensao", here in a 9-piece electroacoust ensemble with viola, cello, doublebass, alto sax, trombone, piano, electric guitar, computer and percussion, suspenseful lowercase music that unfolds in mysterious, beautiful and rewarding ways.

Five hypnotic transmissions from the aether, as manifested by Chad Davis (Hour of 13/Night Magic, The Ritualist, US Christmas, Anu, Demoncy, etc.) Science Fiction soundscapes for the cosmic students of early electronic music.

Reissuing Japanese sound artist Minoru Sato's 1995 work, searching a stationary wave (SASW) based on "aspect" works, re-released on cassette with two additional tracks from an exhibition catalogue from ICC, 2000, and one unreleased piece, "days of the sky another mix".

Avant rock duo of guitarist Scott Burton and drummer Scott Clark exploring the concept of merging metal with the timbres of experimental jazz within these complex compositions that defy simple categorization.

Essentially a string trio, guitarist Brandon Seabrook's Trio with upright bassist Henry Fraser and cellist Daniel Levin is anything but typical string fair, blending improvisation with complex composition and rock sensibilities as one of New York's most unique downtown players takes listeners on a diverse and sometimes demented journey through genre and style.

Stream of consciousness improvisation in voice, violin harmonics, and unidentifiable percussive sounds, all over a NY neighborhood traffic drone, from the duo of violinist Natalia Steinbach and drummer/percussionist David Grollman, reporting from a strange dream.

The first new release from William Key Ransone's Small Cruel Party, two 12 minute pieces, the first a work of subtle noise that ebbs and flows in subliminal ways; the second a work of strong tone combinations with distracted percussion and unusual tonal interruptions, a unique album of atmosphere and tension.

An uncommon solo guitar album from Andrew Smiley, a member of Little Women and the Chris Pitsiokos Quartet, creating textures on the guitar by applying unconventional techniques with his pick and fingers instead of using effects or guitar preparations, and accompanying himself on voice in Haino-esque ways, creating an album of sharp contrast and color.

Ukrainian sound artist Edward Sol collaborated with Puerto Rican sound experimenter Jorge Castro (Cornucopia) via the post to create these two long works of harmonic drones from indecipherable sources creating slowly building chambers of rich noise that resonate and shift above deep underpinnings of cavernous bass.

Nate Wooley's Sound American online magazine presents a complete rehearsal of the trio of Philip White (electronics), Chris Pitsiokos (sax) and C. Spencer Yeh (violin), as they discuss their work and develop a piece entitled "Shredding Treatise"; and an interview by Nate Wooley of Baltimore music researcher, record producer, and writer Ian Nagoski.

Part of a series of 8 split release cassettes, hand-painted & numbered; this release presents the Dutch sound artist Steffan de Turck (Staplerfahrer) reworking material recorded in a duo with Jos Smolders; and 2 tracks from Korean sound artist Noizaki Eum Kyeong (Bonehole).

Prolific sound artists Sindre Bjerga and Claus Poulsen jointly tweak various close-miked micro-sounds into a strange noise-oriented collage, crossing drone and concrete approaches in bizarre ways.

A recomposition of sound artists Howard Stelzer and Frans de Waard's album "Pink Pearl", reworked into two extended compositions of throbbing ambience that glacially grows over the life of each compositions.

Bassist and sound artist Luke Stewart is a Washington, DC stalwart, a member of a variety of improvised and rock bands and active in Sonic Circuits, and also an Artist-In-Residence at Union Arts and Manufacturing; this solo work uses the resonant feedback of an amplifier with unusual double bass technique to coax a fascinating journey that accompanied his 2017 art exhibit.

Acoustic guitarist Tim Stine and his trio with upright bassist Anton Hatwich and drummer Frank Rosaly, an all-star group of younger Chicago players in an album of buoyant, original improvisations with great give-and-take from a superb working band of contemporaries.

Toronto-based composer Nick Storring presents two highly textural, side-long pieces; "Field Lines" originally composed for Yvonne NG Peck Wan's dance piece, "Magnetic Fields", presenting a series of a brief, dreamlike clearings through clusters of tonal instruments; and "Yield Criteria" a work of drifting drones that ebb and flow in rich harmonies.

The West Coast trio of Kristian Aspelin on guitar, Matt Chandler on bass, and Jacob Felix Heule on drums in a unique cassette of energetic sound, textural noise and explorative free improvisation.

Montreal composer Chris Strickland used strategies of "deliberate uncertainty" to direct these 3 pieces of minimized technique, narrative, and emotion, performed by Montreal musicians Guido del Fabbro on violin and Solomiya Moroz on flute, with field recordings creating a hazy ambiance over the slowly evolving works.

Limited cassette release of Sizlard's beautiful "colourpalette" loop series, featuring two side-length pieces composed for rotating loop-cycles, which adhere to strict compositional limitations.

The Finnish trio of Sami Pekkola (tenor sax), Tero Kemppainen (double bass) & Jaakkoo Tolvi (drums) with guest Pekka Airaksinen on keyboard for two extended recordings of thick, frenetic, and euphoric free jazz live from Mental Alaska/Ravintola Piano in Helsinki, 2014.

Two saxes and a synth in long-form improvisations from the trio of Berlin-based synth player/mask-designer Liz Kosack and Brooklyn-based saxophonists Nathaniel Morgan and Anna Webber, using sophisticated approaches to the blending and contrasting of tones, rhythm and sound.

Bristol sound artists Seth Cook presents a rendering of Stefan Thut's text-based score "aussen raum" realized in both stereo field recordings and no input field recordings, focusing on a botched water feature of the River Frome beneath Bristol's Harbourside that has been the subject of ridicule and reconstruction.

Electronics & drums in a duo from Portugese musician Rafael Toral and drummer Alfonso Simoes performing live at All Tomorrow's Parties in 2012, two extended improvisations that develop from slow psychedelic cries to blistering interactions of strong statements.

On the A side Simon Hanes leads a 14 piece ensemble in an homage to the late 60s/70s Italian soundtracks with a film score to a fictional film "Vai! Vai! Vai!"; on the B side, the improvising Ensemble for the Exploration of New Perspectives in Collective Sound Exploration.

New York's Twins of El Dorado is a voice-trumpet duo exploring the concept of the art song and the intersection of text and music as a songbook concept, performed by Joe Moffett (trumpet), Nathaniel Morgan (alto sax), Cole Kamen-Green (trumpet), and Kristin Slipp (voice).

New York drummer Federico Ughi in a band with long time collaborator David Schnug on sax, Mike Irwin on trumpet, and Jeff Snyder on electronics, more of a creative jazz album than electric, with Leila Adu on vocals and Zach Swanson on bass on 2 tracks each; informed, intelligent and lyrical free improvisation from a tight-knit group of superb players.

From their work together in the New York aberrant hardcore band Meta-matics, the electoacoustic duo of Frank Vogl and Chuck Bettis emerged, creating a peculiar and energetic dialog from Bettis' max/msp patches and Franke's tabletop prepared bass, performed live as improvised spontaneous compositions of great detail and unpredictability.

The Brooklyn duo of saxophonist Sam Weinberg (Captain Phillips) and synth player Chris Welcome (Chris Pitsiokos, Mike Pride) in an album of abrasive, rhythmically abraded and contorted electro-acoustic improvisation, each player embedding themselves into each other's sound, at time making their instruments indistinguishable from one another.

Wasteland Jazz Unit is Jon Lorenz on saxophone and John Rich on clarinet, based in Cincinnati, Ohio that please their own ears by playing an amorphous, hyper-amplified free improvised noise of blasting screaming horn squeals, damaged contact mics, feedback tones and the like, in a cassette of dark, aggressive sound.

American sound artist Jason Zeh recorded these two extended works of drone and slowly evolving interpositions on the ruins of the Great Black Swamp in 2011 & 2012, each side a single work that initiates a rich sonic platform that ultimately shifts sinuously as new sounds dovetail each other, lulling the listener hypnotically, then furtively altering the environment.

Portland-based percussionist Matt Hannafin presents 4 works from John Cage, 2 from the 60s and 2 from the 90s: "Variations II" & "Variations III", where the performer places or drops transparencies to create a graphic score; "One4" for solo percussion incorporating improvisation; and "c Composed Improvisation" for one-sided drums using instructions and chance operations.